Kids whose moms don’t get enough sunshine during pregnancy may be more likely to develop learning difficulties, researchers report. The finding stems from data on more than 422,000 school-aged children in Scotland. Low levels of exposure to UVB rays — but not UVA sunlight — during the entire pregnancy was linked to learning disabilities later on. Because only UVB rays were implicated, the researchers suspect the effect relates to insufficient vitamin D production. Exposure to vitamin D in the first trimester of pregnancy is essential for fetal brain development, the researchers said. The percentage of kids with learning disabilities varied by month of conception. It ranged from nearly 17% among children conceived in July to 21% among those conceived in February, March and April, when exposure to sunlight is less. However, the study could not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. “Learning disabilities can have profound life-long effects on both the affected child and their family. The importance of our study is that it suggests a possible way to prevent learning disabilities in some children,” said lead author Jill Pell, director of the University of Glasgow’s Institute of Health and Wellbeing. “Clinical trials are now needed to confirm whether taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy could reduce the risk of learning disabilities,” she said in a university news release. The report was published June 27 in the…  read on >

The anti-vaccination movement is now a global crisis, an international panel of scientists say, and everyone must do more to combat it. “We are alarmed that the WHO [World Health Organization] this year declared vaccine hesitancy a top-10 international public health problem. This is a man-made, dangerous and wholly unnecessary crisis,” said Dr. Scott Ratzan. He’s founding editor of the Journal of Health Communication. He’s also the founder of the International Working Group (IWG) on Vaccination and Public Health Solutions. The new Salzburg Statement on Vaccine Acceptance, published July 2, has been endorsed by 60 leaders in public health from the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. According to the group, vaccines have prevented hundreds of millions of infectious diseases — such as polio, measles, hepatitis B and meningitis — and save up to 3 million lives a year. They are cost-effective, too. Every U.S. dollar spent on childhood immunization returns up to $44 in benefits, according to the IWG. But in the United States, outbreaks of measles have recently occurred in hotspots where parents have refused to vaccinate their children. In response, some U.S. states have reacted by closing “personal belief” loopholes that allowed parents to not immunize a school-aged child. “The resurgence of potentially life-threatening diseases like measles, which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control declared eliminated in the United States in 2000,…  read on >

With school, sports and assorted activities, many kids have little or no free time. That fast-paced lifestyle can actually stifle their development, making them less likely to be self-starters. It could also limit their imagination, an important ingredient in creativity and problem-solving. University of Colorado-Boulder researchers found that kids who spend more time in less-structured activities have better self-directed control and thinking skills than those who spend more time in structured activities. Think of less-structured activities as free play — alone or with friends — reading, drawing and casual social outings. Other research has found value in some completely unstructured time to daydream and let the mind wander. Give your children time, space and some simple tools, like paper and colored pencils, to start their creative juices flowing. Free time allows kids to come up with imaginative ideas and find creative solutions to problems. It encourages qualities such as independent thinking, self-reliance and perseverance — the drive to keep trying if something doesn’t work the first time. So when you’re looking ahead at the weekly calendar, be sure to leave some blocks of time empty. Not sure if your child is overscheduled? The American Academy of Family Physicians lists these common warning signs: Your child is constantly tired. Your child is often grumpy. Your child has developed physical problems like headaches or belly aches. Your…  read on >

As communities across America enjoy fireworks this July Fourth, folks should keep eye safety in mind. The number of eye injuries caused by fireworks nearly doubled from 2016 to 2017, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) is urging Americans to take proper safety precautions this holiday. Fireworks-related eye injuries rose from 700 in 2016 to 1,200 in 2017, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Those injuries included ruptured eyeballs and damaged corneas and retinas. “An average of 280 people a day will go to the emergency room with fireworks-related injuries during the two weeks before and after July Fourth,” said Dr. Dianna Seldomridge, clinical spokesperson for the AAO. “Don’t be a part of these alarming statistics. Learn how to protect yourself and your children,” she urged in an AAO news release. Most injuries are caused by legal fireworks that parents buy for their children, including sparklers, firecrackers, bottle rockets and Roman candles, according to the AAO. The academy offered the following fireworks safety tips. Keep a safe distance from fireworks: A recent study found that bystanders account for 65% of people injured by fireworks. Stacy Young was one of those. She was 100 yards away when shrapnel from an illegal firework penetrated her skull. Her eye couldn’t be saved and had to be removed. Don’t pick up duds and misfires: Ohio firefighter…  read on >